Data Governance trumps Big Data – lessons to learn from the NSA

Data Governance must drive Big Data strategy!

Edward Snowden’s escape from Hong Kong in June was aided by simple data quality errors in the extradition request put in by the United States government. According to Hong Kong officials, the National Security Agency got Snowden’s name wrong in documents it submitted seeking his arrest, and omitted his passport number.

The time taken to clarify these errors gave Snowden the opportunity he needed to board a flight for Moscow, where he has been granted refugee status.

It is ironic that an organisation that is at the forefront of Big Data analytics could fail to deliver accurate and complete data for a seemingly simple task. Yet. all too often, new technologies and hype take precedence over basic business improvement.

Surely, from a data governance perspective, ensuring accurate and complete identification of staff with access to sensitive information should be a priority?

This is a great example of how poor data quality breaks business processes, in this case with embarrassing results.

Many data governance programmes suffer from being too complex and, largely, irrelevant. Getting the basics right, with our Lean Data Governance approach, is essential to minimising risk and maximising the value of information